As the first Game of Thrones spinoff, House of the Dragon premiered in 2022 to near-universal acclaim. The 10-episode first season, adapting parts of George R.R. Martin’s Targaryen history book Fire & Blood, generated excitement from both diehard fans and critics, introducing us to a time when House Targaryen was at the peak of their power. It followed Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock/Emma D’Arcy) as she navigated being named her father’s heir, including several time jumps to move the story forward.
Adapting Fire & Blood is no easy feat; because it’s written more like a text book than a novel, major moments are summarized quickly and there’s a lot of room for interpretation. The first season took many risks and asked a lot of the audience as we watched Rhaenyra’s rise to power, only to be stolen by the usurper, her younger brother Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney).
Rhaenyra, who was once nicknamed “the Realm’s Delight,” has been our protagonist since the first episode, and we fell in love with her from her first scene with her dragon, Syrax. She was an incredible character worth watching week to week, but unfortunately, the second season didn’t know what to do with her book storyline—or lack thereof. In season 3, the show needs to follow her book trajectory and turn her truly cruel before we lose all interest in her.
Season 2 didn’t know what to do with Rhaenyra
Let’s talk about season 2 real quick. Though the first season was highly regarded, even winning Best Drama Series at the 2023 Golden Globes, the second season, which released in 2024, was met with many complaints. There were several really great moments—the Battle at Rook’s Rest, for one—but much of the rest fell flat. It seemed the writers were suddenly struggling with adapting such a complicated book, when in the first season they proved they could do it against all odds.
One of the major low points in season 2 was the way the show treated Rhaenyra. Though she expressed determination in getting revenge against the Greens and going into battle herself, she never actually did much.
The first season ended with Rhaenyra learning that Luke had died, with the final shot showing D’Arcy staring down the camera with dark rage. But the second season didn’t pick up from there. The only interesting part of her storyline in season 2 was her romantic relationship with Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), which at least brought some complexity. The Sowing of the Seeds was an epic concept, but it played out better in the book than onscreen.
It’s no secret fans have had issues with the Rhaenyra/Alicent (Olivia Cooke) relationship since season 1, but this was only amplified in season 2. To fill in the gaps from the book, the writers included soapy plot points between the two characters, which were largely viewed as low-stakes snooze-fests when we’d rather be seeing other parts of the story.
Because of all of this, it’s hard to even identify what Rhaenyra’s motivations are anymore. She says she wants to take back the Iron Throne, but as uneventful as her storyline in season 2 was, it’s hard to fully believe it—or, at this point, sadly, care.
We need cruel Rhaenyra
It’s funny that the second episode of season 2 was actually called “Rhaenyra the Cruel”—but where was she?! I’ve seen the episode multiple times and I never saw her. In Fire & Blood, Rhaenyra is described as turning into a ruthless person, presumably willing to do anything to get the Throne. She was even compared to King Maegor Targaryen, a.k.a. Maegor the Cruel. Where is even a fraction of that energy in the show?
"The girl that they once cheered as the Realm’s Delight had grown into a grasping and vindictive woman, men said, a queen as cruel as any king before her. One wit named Rhaenyra ‘King Maegor with teats,’ and for a hundred years thereafter ‘Maegor’s Teats’ was a common curse amongst Kingslanders."Fire & Blood
It seems like House of the Dragon is scared to write unlikeable characters—especially in the leads. Yes, Criston Cole was despicable in the first season, but he wasn’t the main character. With Rhaenyra, the writers are too hesitant to turn her into someone viewers might dislike, even if it makes her much more watchable.
Take Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones. We all loved to hate her, especially when she was committing horrible acts. No, I probably wouldn’t want to know her in real life, but she was compelling as hell and I loved to watch her on screen. That should go for Rhaenyra, too.
If the show follows the book and transforms Rhaenyra into this cruel person, the rest of her story will be more impactful. She’d be willing to do anything to get her power back, but at what cost? In Fire & Blood, she literally bleeds each time she sits on the Iron Throne, no doubt an omen for what’s to come. We won’t get into major book spoilers here, but if the show keeps up this lackluster portrayal of Rhaenyra, no one will even care what happens to her.
Not every character needs to be a villain in the Game of Thrones universe, but they should be complicated, difficult, and overall interesting. Otherwise, they’ll just be one-dimensional and boring. Rhaenyra deserves better, and the fans deserve better, too.
House of the Dragon season 3 premieres on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, June 21. The countdown is on!
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